Getting There
by LexaLane
Summary: Post-Hex One Shot. Clark calls Lois on her date with a fake lead which she sees right through, leading to the pair having the talk they should've had at the end of Infamous, with my own twist! *Contains Season 8 spoilers


**_Just a little one shot inspired by the ending of Hex._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville, Lois, or Clark. A girl can only dream!_**

**_I hope you like it, reviews/feedback would be much appreciated._**

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Clark swivelled left to right in his desk chair listening to the creaking sound it made, a noise that he now found strangely comforting. He looked at the clock on his desk; it read 22:34. It had been exactly two hours and twenty six minutes since Lois had left the planet to go on her date, and in that time Clark had spent a collective 10 minutes on his story.

'What kind of a guy asks out women he meets on aeroplanes anyway?' Clark mumbled grumpily to himself.

The words rang over and over in his mind.

'_Why don't we just table this whole office thrown together in the trenches sparks thing okay? Back to basics. Lets keep the game on the field.'_

He couldn't blame her. After all it had been him who had made the decision that night to not meet her, not to pursue whatever it was between them. But he was protecting her, it was the right decision, he had been sure.

Then why did the fact that she was on a date with someone else feel like a kick in the stomach with a kryptonite-capped boot?

He looked at the clock again. It read 22:35. He sighed with frustration and sat up in his chair. There was no point in staying any longer; he most definitely wasn't going to get his story finished with his current concentration span of about 5 seconds.

He needed to do something to take his mind off his feisty partner. He picked up his cell to call Chloe, but remembered she playing the role Watch Tower on the team's latest mission.

Clark looked at his cell and his eyes fell upon the entry just above Chloe's in his contact list: Lois' Cell. A thought entered his mind. 'Maybe…' No he couldn't, he wouldn't resort to that. Could he? Well thinking about it, Lois hadn't actually told him not to call earlier, he reasoned with himself. He could call her with a lead, and just check up on her; make sure aeroplane guy isn't a psychopath. That would be okay, Clark nodded to himself. And before he knew what he was doing he had pressed the 'call' button.

He listened for the sound of Lois' ringing phone, and picked it up quickly. Phone still ringing in his hand, he sped away following the sound of Lois' ringing phone to the source. Clark slowed to walk in a back road across the street from the Ace of Clubs. The home turf meeting place had obviously been Lois' choice. He put his phone back up to his ear just in time to hear her answer.

'Yes Smallville?' She said, sounding half amused and half annoyed.

'Hey Lois. Sorry to interrupt but I just got a report of a mugging,' Clark paused, waiting for her reply.

'And? Clark this is Metropolis, there are muggings every day. Its hardly breaking news,' Lois shot back.

'The Red Blue Blur,' Clark blurted out before thinking.

'What?' Lois said, suddenly interested.

'The Red and Blue Blur, he uh, he made the save.'

She paused for a moment. 'Where are you?' She asked.

'I'm just outside the Ace of Clubs, that's where it happened.' It was a half truth.

'The Ace of Clubs? That's where I am," Lois said surprised.

"Oh really?" Clark feigned equal surprise.

There was silence on the other end of the line, before he heard Lois' voice, slightly muffled. "I'm so sorry about this Chris, will you excuse me for a minute? I just have to pop outside." She said sweetly.

"Yeah, of course, go ahead," he heard a male voice reply

"Stay where you are Smallville," Lois said to him again, before the line went dead.

Clark slid his phone back into his jacket pocket and looked up to see Lois walking towards him. She was wearing a simple black pencil skirt that hugged her curves perfectly, with a sleeveless, silk blouse with ruffled detail around the neck, the colour of which was not dissimilar to the orange of the bridesmaid dress she had worn for Chloe's wedding. Her long dark curls were loose and swung from side to side as she walked. She looked beautiful.

"So, spill Smallville."

"Huh?" He said snapping back to reality.

"The story? The Red Blue Blur?" She said impatiently.

"Oh right." Damn, he really should've worked out the details of his fictional story before calling Lois.

"So…"

"Well, there was a woman here, just across the street and uh…she was, she was walking home when…when a man came out the alley and tried to take her bag,' Clark stuttered. Lois stood in front of him with her arms folded across her chest, looking at him to continue. "And, and that's when he…the Red Blue Blur…came and took the guy out," he finished.

"Where's the guy now?" Lois quizzed. "Did the police take him to lock up?"

Uh oh. "Um, no. He uh, he got away," he avoided her gaze.

"What?" Lois said with disbelief. "So the Blur stopped the guy, but then just let him get away?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Clark could start to feel his cheeks get hot.

"Well what about the girl?" Lois asked.

"What girl?" Clark said before he could think.

"Uh, the mug-ee?" Lois stared bemused at him.

"Oh right, the girl. Well she uh…she was scared and just wanted to get home, so...so she ran off pretty fast." This was not going well.

"Did you get her name? Address?" Lois asked, and Clark just stared at her blankly.

Suddenly a wave of realisation hit her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Clark, what is this really about?"

"Lois, did you not listen to word I just said? A mugging, the Red Blue Blur? I know how possessive you are over his stories, so I thought that…"

"Smallville, how many years have I known slash lived slash worked with you?" She cut him off. "You really think I can't tell when you're telling porkies by now?"

Lois looked at Clark with scepticism in her eyes. She had obviously not believed a word he had said. Clark could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks and looked to the floor, embarrassed that Lois had seen right through his plan. His silence and red complexion confirmed her suspicions.

"Clark, you can't just…" She sighed frustratedly. "You know what, I'm on a date, I'm not doing this now," Lois said indignantly, starting to make her way back inside, until the almost whole bottle of champagne she had single handedly consumed took hold of her and she stopped in her tracks. She stood on the spot for a second and closed her eyes. "Oh what the hell," she said out loud, and spun around on the spot, her long dark curls swinging round behind her.

"Listen Clark. I've had a few drinks so I'm going to be unashamedly blunt here, but I'm not doing this…this whole will we, won't we dance."

"Lois, I didn't come here to…"

"Oh the hell you didn't," Lois scoffed. "You think I didn't see through your whole 'You want me to call if something comes through the wire, see if you're available?' thing at the Planet earlier." Clark looked guiltily down at the ground.

"You know, I don't get you Smallville. I put myself out there, which if you hadn't gleamed by now I do not like doing, and what did you do? You shot me down," the hurt unconsciously ebbing into her voice. "And you being here right now, its not helping, because being shot down, its not really something a girl likes to dwell on," she let out an exasperated laugh. She should've stopped there, but the champagne prevented her.

"Especially when it happens twice. I suppose I really should've taken the hint the first time after you ditched me on the dance floor for little miss prim, but what can I say, I'm a masochist." Lois finally finished, out of breath. She had expected to see Clark wince at her lack of tact in mentioning Lana and the wedding, and so was admittedly slightly smug when it didn't happen. Instead Clark took a step towards her.

"Lois, the reason I didn't show up that night, it wasn't because of you…well it was but…" Clark ran a hand through his hair, cursing the fact that he had ever left his desk and creaking chair that night.

"I don't know what to do here Lois. I keep thinking I've got things figured out. Then I look at you and you are…" Clark paused, and took a breath, "…and you are so beautiful, with your curly hair, and that smile, and that firey sparkle you get in your eyes and…and it just turns everything upside down."

Lois' eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

"I care about you Lois, more than you know, more than I even knew until recently." He saw her mouth twitch upwards into a slight smile.

"But where I am in my life right now, its not a place where I can be in a relationship, not with anyone."

"Is this about Lana?" Lois said, somewhat resentfully.

"I thought it was to begin with. But you know finally, this isn't about Lana."

Lois felt a wave of relief wash over her.

"I'm finally starting to accept my new life, living by myself at the farm, working at the Planet, helping people…"

Lois looked at him slightly quizzically at his last comment but then her face softened again, obviously letting it slide.

"…but I still feel like I've got a way to go yet. There are still things that I need to deal with and get used to, things that I can't share with anyone. Not yet." He finished, searching Lois' eyes for some kind of response.

"We spend way too much time together, because strangely, I think I actually understand." Lois said. "I think its very small town Kansas farm boy of you," Lois teased playfully, "But I do understand."

"And while I'm not going to lock myself away at night and twiddle my thumbs while I wait for you to sort through whatever it is you have to sort through…" She saw Clark's face fall slightly. "…I'm also most definitely not going anywhere," she finished with a smile.

Clark sighed with relief, feeling a huge gratitude and respect towards the woman standing in front of him. She had been so accepting, despite the fact that he hadn't even really given her a proper reason to be. That gave him hope, hope that maybe one day…

"Oh crap," Lois startled him out of his line of thought. "Chris, I totally forgot I left him in there. I should really get back…"

"Yeah of course," Clark said. "Lois…I'm really glad we did this, I'm glad we finally talked."

"Me too. Wasn't so hard was it?"

Clark rolled his eyes at Lois' sly little dig.

"So I'll see you at work tomorrow?'

"Yep, bright and early. Enjoy the rest of you're evening, with Chris," a hint of distain in his voice. He knew it was hypocritical, but he'd still have preferred Lois not to recommence her date.

Lois chuckled and turned to walk away, until once again the champagne took hold of her.

A sly smile spread across her face and she walked back towards Clark. She took a final step, closing the gap between them, and gently placed her hands on his chest. She lifted her head up to meet his and pressed her lips against his, kissing him gently, but teasingly. She pulled back slightly and looked up into his eyes, before leaning in to kiss him again. This time it was deeper, filled with that Lois Lane fire and passion; it was intoxicating. Any resolve Clark had dissipated. He placed one hand firmly around her waist and another through her soft brown hair, and kissed her back. He parted his lips and felt Lois' tongue slide along his. He reciprocated only too willingly, their tongues dancing in unison. He slid his hand from her waist and round to her back. He pulled her closer to him, their bodies fitting together perfectly and effortlessly.

Then suddenly and without warning she pulled away, leaving them both gasping for breath, and Clark slightly disappointed. Lois smiled up at him with a twinkle in her eye, and with that she turned to walk back inside, leaving a flustered and dumbfounded Clark behind.

'Lois? What was…what…' Clark stammered after her.

Lois slowed and looked over her shoulder. 'I just wanted you to know what you're missing out on, Smallville.' Lois smiled at him a wicked smile.

'You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?' Clark sighed after her.

'Why change a four year habit?' Lois called back coyly, before disappearing amongst the crowd inside.

Clark stood there shell-shocked. He could still feel her lips on his, still taste the cherry of her lipstick. He ran a hand across his hair and groaned. She was going to torture him.

_The End_

_**Thanks to all those who took the time to read! I hope you enjoyed it, do let me know. LexaLane :-)**_


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